Combined bezel and casing closure



March 22, 1932. SOCHARD 1,850,247

COMBINED BEZEL AND CASING CLOSURE Filed Nov. 17, 1930 Patented Mar. 22, 1932 PAEN FHQ HENRY SOCHARD, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK COMBINED BEZEL AND CASING CLOSURE Application filed November 17, 1930. Serial No. 498,136.

This invention relates to clock casing and bezel constructions.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved clock casing closure means combined with a bezel, a reflector, and a casing engaging and alining flange, or any of them. Another object is to provide a removable closure for a clock casing engageable with the inside thereof and with a supporting member for the clock casing in improved sealing relationship to thereby prevent the entrance of dust into the clock casing from the front and fully exposed face of the clock, said removable closure being for this purpose tightly connected to a portion of the clock such as the crystal to effect a uniform and reliable closure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of the type mentioned having few and simple parts, in-

expensive to manufacture and assemble, neat in appearance, durable and efficient in use, and wherein a combined clock casing closure and bezel is arranged in a onepiece structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter de scribed in their preferred embodiments,

pointed out in the sub-joined claim, and illustrated on the annexed drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same refer v ence characters throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a device embodying the invention with a part in section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation thereof on a reduced scale, and embodied in a collapsible supporting means.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when ad of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful. devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions.

The accompanying drawings, therefore, are submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplilication of the invention.

This invention may be embodied in different constructions which may have a dial and/or a crystal, lens, or the like. For illustration, the invention is shown in connection with a conventional clock structure, which while intended to be representative of instruments as a class, shows the invention in a particularly advantageous form. In that respect it may be noted that clocks are often provided with various external means, such as supporting devices. One form of the latter may have an opening snugly receiving or engaging the clock casing.

The

of the device is enhanced.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes a device embodying the invention. The same includes any suitable supporting means 11 which may have front and rear wall portions 12 and 13 hingedly connected together at the top 14. A bottom 15 may be hingedly connected to the rear wall at 16, and may have a stop portion 17 whereby the supporting means may be retained in the open triangular position shown. A clock 18 may be permanently mounted in the front wall 12, and when the support is collapsed, the clock may be enclosed within the support and housed by the side wall portions 19 on the rear wall. This support may be made of any suitable material stifi or pliable, and is preferably constructed of leather or fabric re-enforced in any suitable manner.

The

' dial 35.

front wall 12 is the important part of the support for consideration herein, and by the construction mention-ed has a yielding front face or surface 20.

lVhile the clock may be variously mounted on the wall 12, it is preferred to form an opening 21 therethrough which may more or less snugly receive the clock casing 22. The latter may be of various shaoes or cylindrical as shown, and may have a rear wall 23 and a front opening, the rim of which is outwardly flanged at 24, to overliethe edge portion of the supporting wall 12 at the open ing 21; Any suitable means may secure the clock casing to the support 12; for instance, a housing 25 may be provided receiving said housing and having a flange 26 for contact ing the, support 12. 'By means of screws 27, he housing may be caused to press the flange 6 against the support whereby the latter is .ightly gripped between flanges 2e and 26. By slightly curving the former as shown, the support is so engaged that any accidental slipping of the edge portion of the support is avoided. For access to the finger pieces 28 for manipulating the clock mechanism, openings 29, 30 may be provided in the clock casing and housing, which comparatively closely fit the stems of the finger pieces to prevent entrance of dust into the clock mechanism, and the space 31 may act as a dead air space to further prevententrance of dust into the clock casing 22.

The invention is particularly embodied in a device 32 having suitable means for connecting the same with the clock casing. Said means may preferably be detachable and serve as an alining and securing portion, for which purpose acylindrical flange 33 may be provided. The latter may frictionally engage the inside face of the clock casing wall. Coacting with the portion 33 may be a reflector 3 which may overlie the edge of a Above the reflector may be a bezel portion 36 for receiving a crystal 37. EX- tending outward of the latter is a closure portion or flange 38 engaging or bearing on the supporting wall 12. The closure flange 38 may extend downward at an angle or 1n curved relation so that the edge'39 thereof snugly contacts or bites into the yielding surface 20 of the support 12. By this construction a clearance is also provided for the flange 24:.

The device 32-may be made in one or more pieces, although the one-piece construction is the more desirable. For this reason, said device, which can be made of any suitable material, is manufactured by turning the same under the action of cutters, although it may also be made by die casting and the like.

The rather thin flange 33 may be slightly tapered toward the top in its outside diameter to snap into and securely hold with the casing 25, especially as the rim of the latter is pressed slightly inward in forming the flange 24.

The manner of assembling the device will now be briefly described. After the clock and housing 25 are secured on the support 12, the device 32 is applied through the forward open end of the clock casing and pressed in until the edge 39 bites into the yielding face of the support. The crystal 3? may be connected in place before or after this operation.

By this invention the front or fully exposed part of the clock is thus rendered substantially air tight and proof against the entrance of dust. A well fitted crystal will make an air tight connection in a bezel, and as the flange 38 has similar engagement with the yielding face of the clock support, the clock casing is thus tightly closed. The invention may thus be denominated a combined clock casing closure and bezel, although the latter is illustrative of any similar wall portion of a clock. The reflector 34 coacts in a neat and improved manner with the dial, and the flange 33 acts as the aliningand holding portion of the device 32. No special parts or constructions are needed and the device may be removed and replaced with a single movement.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawings, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claim. 7

I claim:

A device including a clock casing having an outward extending annular flange adjacent to the front thereof, a plane supporting means of a flexible material having an opening for snugly receiving the casing, a securing means fastened to the casing and having a flange, the flanges of the casing and the securing means being on opposite faces of the supporting means and clamping the same therebetween around said opening, a onepiece ring means at the front of the casing and having a circular flange frictionally secured with the inside face of the wall of the casing, said ring means having a reflector adapted to bear on a clock dial, and a bezel portion for a crystal, said ring means having a transversely curved continuous flange extending outward over the casing flange with the edge of the flange of the ring means in bearing engagement with the supporting means, whereby the casing is sealed against the entrance of dust by the ring means.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature,

HENRY SOCHARD. 

